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For generations, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, including Michael Shannon as the president and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against slavery and advanced to the military position.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the time. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a party member for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the patronage system. The assassin was a drifter with a record of professional failures, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law